Regional Issues

U.S. Army and the Asia-Pacific Dr Andrew Scobell Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph highlights the significant and ongoing contribution of the U.S. Army in deterring war, executing smaller-scale contingencies, and shaping the security environment. The author advocates a robust, pro-active Army presence for the foreseeable future. Such a presence will ensure the promotion and protection of U.S. national interests in the region."

The Asia-Pacific in the U.S. National Security Calculus for a New Millennium Dr Andrew Scobell, Dr Larry M Wortzel Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The Asia-Pacific region has become increasingly central to U.S. national security concerns. The drawdown of U.S. forces that began in the mid-1970s has not translated into a decline in U.S. interest or engagement in the Asia-Pacific. The United States continues to have a significant forward presence, steadfast allies, and thriving trade and investment in countries throughout the region."

People's Liberation Army After Next COL Susan M Puska Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "An analytical schism has developed over differing assessments of China’s military modernization. Underlying this debate are at least two key questions. First, will the ongoing China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) modernization provide China with significant offensive power projection and/or preemptive capability? If so, by when? Second, does the pace and success of China’s military modernization constitute a threat to the United States and/or its friends and allies in the Asia-Pacific region?"

Chinese Army Building in the Era of Jiang Zemin Dr Andrew Scobell Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "To many in the United States, China looms large as a strategic threat. Some anticipate a threat emerging in the foreseeable future, while others believe that one already exists. Any rising power, as it seeks to find its place on the global stage, poses challenges to the world community. So it is merely prudent to consider the possibility that Beijing might become an adversary."

Chinese Arms Exports: Policy, Players and Process Dr Bates Gill, Mr Evan S Medeiros Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Global arms proliferation continues to be a key concern for the United States, particularly the export role of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Clearly, the PRC is a key player in the world’s arms bazaar. Although China experienced a significant decline in its arms exports in the 1990s (down from the boom times of the 1980s), the PRC provides a significant array of lethal weapons and sensitive defense technologies to states around the world. These exports provide an invaluable means by which to assess the progress and performance of China’s military-industrial complex. Moreover, these products may represent the very systems and technological know-how that the United States and allied forces will encounter in a future conflict."

The PLA and the Kosovo Conflict Dr June Teufel-Dreyer Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The U.S. armed forces are not the only military that has sought to discern the lessons of the Kosovo campaign in the spring of 1999. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has also analyzed the conflict and drawn its own conclusions. In fact, as Dr. June Teufel Dreyer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami in Florida, observes, rather than reach a single set of conclusions, different groups within the Chinese military drew different judgments. Dr. Dreyer argues that these differences of opinion reflect the considerable diversity of thinking about defense modernization and future war that exists within the PLA today. The analysis that follows therefore provides an opportunity for readers to learn about the different strands in Chinese strategic thinking as that country enters the 21st century."

The United States and Colombia: Untying the Gordian Knot AMB David Passage Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Twenty-five years after the end of the Vietnam War, the ghost of that war still haunts decisionmakers when it comes to making long-term commitments to situations that remotely resemble anything like our Indochina experience. That is the case with Colombia, which is embroiled in an internecine struggle with two guerrilla movements, bent on overthrowing the government, as well as with narcotraffickers and paramilitary forces."

Asia-Pacific Security: China's Conditional Multilateralism and Great Power Entente Dr Jing-dong Yuan Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph provides an analysis of the People’s Republic of China’s evaluation of multilateralism and its place in Chinese foreign relations in the Asia-Pacific region. In contrast to conventional scholarly wisdom, the author, Dr. Jing-dong Yuan, contends that China is not opposed to multilateral approaches. In fact, Dr. Yuan asserts that China has adopted an approach he dubs 'conditional multilateralism.' "

The Chinese Armed Forces in the 21st Century Dr Larry M Wortzel Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The debate about China and Taiwan is re-emerging in the United States. The accidental bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, of course, put on the front burner the way that nationalistic fervor has grown in China, at least some of it as a result of manipulation by the Communist Party. President Lee Teng-hui's comments about state-to-state relations between Taiwan and the mainland raised the temperature of relations across the strait and among the three concerned parties (China, the United States, and Taiwan). China threatened, China postured, and China ran political campaigns against the United States and Lee. But the questions of military capability, security policy, and intent are rarely treated seriously. This book is a serious look at the armed forces of China and how they will evolve."